


Mischief Only Brings More Mischief With It

by HoneyWoo



Series: Mischief Only Brings More Mischief With It [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Enemies to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Prince Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Romance, Water Nymph Kim Jungwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyWoo/pseuds/HoneyWoo
Summary: Prince Jaehyun never expected to find a magical lake whilst venturing into the woods, and much less did he expect to be the target of a badly-timed prank put on by a devious magical being.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Jungwoo
Series: Mischief Only Brings More Mischief With It [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817695
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	Mischief Only Brings More Mischief With It

The prince was at his breaking point.

He was fed up of the kingdom, fed up of matchmakers, and not to mention, fed up of the countless life-draining duties thrust upon his shoulders.

Ever since he became of-age, the King and Queen had found it necessary to increase his royal assignments ten-fold. Now, the prince was required to study politics for at least four hours per day, then be escorted by royal bodyguards into the town to search for a potential wife; and the prince was less than delighted about that.

You see, the prince didn’t want to dabble in the kingdom’s issues, and he didn’t want a _wife_. He wanted to enjoy his early twenties, just like the commoner-boys who mingled in the town’s square. If he could, he would take their place without batting an eye – and claim his freedom in exchange for the riches, rank and responsibility that came with his birth.

He didn’t feel ready to be King as yet. And, he would rather become a renowned musician, like the ones his parents brought in during galas and festivals, and travel the country – the world even – and share his passion with crowds and crowds of eager listeners.

But the King and Queen would never allow him to.

On horseback, he galloped into the depths of the woods. This was a conscious breach of the rules, but he was on the verge of losing his mind, and desperately needed somewhere to retreat.

Nobody would spot him in the woods, so that was where he was headed.

Broad tree trunks whizzed past the prince’s vision as his horse bolted forward at full speed. The smell of damp earth and fallen leaves filled the air, and soon the dirt trail that he was following disappeared, leaving the prince to navigate his own way through.

The foliage was dense, blocking out a great deal of moonlight falling onto the earthen floor. The prince questioned whether he made a foolish decision to delve so deep into the unknown, but nonetheless, he charged forward and ultimately found himself in the heart of the woods.

All of a sudden, his horse stopped in its tracks and jolted the prince forward in his saddle, forcing him to hurriedly grasp its neck to steady himself. It must’ve been within the thickest part of the woods, as it was alarmingly dark. Something was off. He dismounted as his horse snorted and stamped its hoofs impatiently on the ground. He combed his fingers soothingly through its golden mane and spoke worriedly.

“What is it, Wisteria?”

The horse tilted her head to the left. She gestured to a line of trees that seemed to be growing unnaturally close to each other. Their wide trunks bordered off the area behind them like a fence, closing off who-knows-what. The prince, burning with curiosity, stepped forward with his eyes narrowed to get a better look.

Suddenly, a brilliant blue light streamed from in-between the trees, lighting up a small patch of grass on the forest floor in front of the prince’s boots.

The prince was fascinated.

He wandered even closer to the suspicious-looking trees, and the distant sounds of rushing water and rustling cicadas could be heard from the other side.

The most beautiful part of the forest must be hiding beyond all this, he reckoned, and glanced excitedly at his horse.

“Wisteria, are you suggesting that I explore this place?”

The horse snorted once again and nuzzled the prince’s shoulder, nudging him forward.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Soon enough, Wisteria was secured by her leash to a nearby branch, and the prince was busy squeezing himself past two trees that stood a little farther apart from the others.

Gingerly, he stepped out onto the other side.

The moment his eyes fell on the scenery, he gawked in amazement.

Everything was oddly bright, too bright to be the heart of the woods.

A shimmering blue lake dotted with lily-pads and lovely flora stretched across the landscape and filled his vision. Before the brink were grasses the color of fine viridian apples, and splendid multicolored flowers sprung forth to populate the rich earth. Amber-glowing fireflies rose up from the ground where the prince had stepped, and circled his boots to welcome him.

A gentle breeze blew through the reeds and ferns in the lake, a delightful tune whistling through the air, which delighted the ears of those who heard it.

The prince laughed.

It seemed as though he had found himself in a magical grove.

He hadn’t been searching for such a place, but he was certainly grateful that his horse had somehow led him there.

A blessing well-timed, the prince thought.

He kneeled down by the edge of the shimmering lake, and washed his hands with before drinking some of the clean water.

Immediately he gasped in relief, closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

Refreshment rippled through his entire body, quenching not only his physical thirst, but his thirst for renewal and recovery.

The water really might have been magical, the prince thought. He never felt anything quite like this before, not even from the strongest potions and elixirs that the royal apothecaries had to offer.

The prince splashed his face again. The burden of his worries and responsibilities dissipated into the lake, dissolving into its cleansing waters and was taken away by the tide.

He thrust his hands in the water again, and then something warm and wet closed around both his wrists.

The prince panicked, immediately casting his gaze downwards.

He couldn't believe it.

Someone’s hands were there.

“What the hell?” The prince hollered, trying to bolt upright, eyes widened in shock.

Whoever was in the water began attempting to pull him in, but he was no match for the prince.

One strong tug and the culprit was yanked smoothly out of the water, stumbling face-first onto the soft grass.

He shrieked in surprise, then looked up innocently at the prince.

The prince’s breath hitched. Certainly, this was no commoner-boy – but a faerie or water nymph.

Such raw beauty could not belong to a human.

His hair was as black as ebony, and despite what had just happened, neatly fell above his dark brows.

His eyes, a deep brown, glinted with mischief, and his lips, which curved into an impish smirk, were redder than all of the roses in the palace gardens.

His clothes were similar to that of a civilian, but were billowier and lighter, colored in all shades of nautical blue.

As the prince scrutinized him, he tried to scramble away, but all his efforts were futile. His lithe body couldn't compete with the prince’s toned one.

The nymph groaned in defeat.

It didn’t take long – or much strength even- for the prince to pin him to a nearby tree.

He pressed the hilt of his sword onto his chest, causing him to flatten his back uncomfortably against the broad trunk, and placed a knee on the trunk, in-between the nymph’s legs.

And like a child caught red-handed stealing candy, the young man pouted and averted his eyes, hanging his head in guilt.

Clearly, he hadn’t known who he was messing with, and hadn’t once considered that his scheme could’ve been so easily thwarted.

The prince raised a brow. He grabbed the nymph’s chin up and held it up until both their noses almost touched. The clean scent of wildflowers and fresh berries filled his lungs – what was the nymph’s unique scent.

Finally, their eyes met.

Under the stern gaze of the prince, the boy trembled like a leaf.

“Tell me your name at once.” The prince demanded, his booming voice sending a wave of goosebumps running down the nymph’s neck.

He stammered before responding, and when he did, his voice shook so much that his words were almost unintelligible.

“I-I’m J-J…” His voice trailed off until it was completely inaudible.

The prince frowned and jerked the nymph’s chin up higher. He squeaked in fear.

“Speak louder, and stop shaking so much. I can’t hear a single word you’re saying.”

“Jungwoo! I’m Jungwoo!” He whimpered, desperate for the prince to set him free.

“No surname?” The prince inquired.

“No, Sir.” Jungwoo retorted quickly, eyes wandering away from the prince for a moment.

The prince huffed. “It’s not _sir._ It’s Your Highness. Prince Jaehyun of the South, to be exact.

Jaehyun made sure to lock eyes with Jungwoo’s as he revealed his identity. The ruddy colour on his cheeks immediately vanished, and he gasped in shock.

“A real prince! I apologize sincerely for my prank, Your Highness!”

The nymph lowered his head in guilt.

Jaehyun pressed his lips together and hummed pensively. He didn’t feel like letting him off so easily, especially since he had disrupted the little peace that he was able to get his hands on.

Tricksters like these needed to be taught a lesson.

He pressed the hilt of his sword harder onto the nymph chest, earning a pained yelp in response.

“I won’t accept it.” Jaehyun said bluntly.

Jungwoo glared at him in consternation, his lower lip quivering, dread dancing in his widened eyes.

“W-why not?” He stuttered.

“I will only accept allegiance as an apology.” Jaehyun declared. “You must work for me in the castle as a personal assistant. I have a lot of affairs to manage, and I could really use some extra help.”

Jungwoo gasped. “You can’t do that!”

“Yes, I can.”

Jungwoo began to fidget impatiently, and tried to push away the hilt of the sword to no avail.

“No! I won't work for anyone – not even a prince! In fact, I won’t step foot into a castle unless I’m taken in as royalty, not as a servant!” He wailed hysterically.

Jaehyun shook his head as an adult would to a child throwing a tantrum.

“You can’t always get what you please.” He stiffened his jaw. “And I’ve already decided. You’re going to work for me whether you like it or not, if you fear for your life.”

Jaehyun pressed the hilt in some more, and Jungwoo whined in discomfort.

“Stop! I accept! I accept!”

Jaehyun gave a smug smile and watched Jungwoo’s helpless expression as he let his body go limp with submission.

“Good.”

He moved his hand to Jungwoo’s chest, holding him down as he returned his sword to his belt. Then, he pulled out a handy string of sapphire-red twine from one of his pockets.

As soon as Jungwoo saw the string, he let out a groan of disbelief.

“You seriously carry _that_ around?” He mumbled, watching Jaehyun gloomily, still unable to move with the prince’s knee and hand restraining him.

His desperation made Jaehyun have to resist the urge to laugh.

“Ariadne’s string. I have it on me at all times, just so that I can properly deal with situations like you.” He mused, deftly tying the unbreakable string multiple times around Jungwoo’s wrists, and finished it with a ridiculously large bow.

Jungwoo frowned and muttered something along the lines of ‘at least it looks half-decent’.

Jaehyun removed his knee from the tree trunk in-between the nymph’s legs, then slinked an arm over his shoulders sturdily to guide where he could walk.

He gave a bright smile – almost taunting - and Jungwoo raised a brow, completely unamused.

Jaehyun tilted his head towards the lake behind him.

“Say goodbye to your lake. We’re leaving now.”

Jungwoo’s expression melted and he sighed, lowering his head in sadness.

“Goodbye lake.”

The nymph looked as though he felt very sorry for himself, and to be completely honest, Jaehyun did feel a little bad for him.

However, it was his own fault for playing tricks on royalty not expecting to get caught.

*

The trees had parted themselves to allow Jaehyun to escort Jungwoo to Wisteria, who had waited patiently for Jaehyun’s return. She snickered happily, greeting her owner and the stranger alongside him.

Even though darkness had fallen once again, Jaehyun could clearly see how Jungwoo’s face lit up in delight the second his gaze fell on the chestnut-colored horse.

When they reached Wisteria’s side, Jungwoo made a curious noise with his mouth.

The horse whinnied in response as if she had just been complimented.

Jungwoo giggled softly, and tried to pet the mare with his bound hands. To his left, Jaehyun watched him closely. Something about the nymph’s laughing face in the dim moonlight had suddenly caught his eye.

“What a lovely mare! What’s she called?” Jungwoo questioned excitedly.

Jaehyun cleared his throat.

“Wisteria.”

Jungwoo hummed, visibly intrigued. “If I get to be around animals like her all day, I might have a great time at the castle.” He mused casually.

Jaehyun chuckled as if Jungwoo had told him a joke.

“If you work hard, I might consider letting you see her after tonight.”

Jungwoo remained silent as Jaehyun untied Wisteria’s leash, setting her free. She pattered her hooves on the ground and nuzzled Jaehyun’s shoulder before doing the same to Jungwoo, who she seemed to have liked instantly.

Jaehyun noticed their interaction curiously.

He stared at Jungwoo, then flicked his gaze to Wisteria, then he glared at Jungwoo’s bound wrists, and finally landed his gaze onto Wisteria’s saddle.

“I’m going to haul you on to the saddle, if you don’t mind.”

Jungwoo pouted and began to protest. “You could just untie me, I’m fully capable of- hey!”

In one swift motion, Jaehyun swept Jungwoo off the ground and planted him safely on top of Wisteria’s saddle without breaking a sweat. As expected, Jungwoo was light, and he hadn’t any time to squirm while he was lifted into mid-air – only making Jaehyun’s job much easier than it already was.

Briefly afterwards, Jaehyun mounted the horse, taking a comfortable seat in front of Jungwoo. He grabbed the reins and was about to gear Wisteria forwards - until he was interrupted by a poke on his back along with the sound of Jungwoo clearing his throat.

“Your Highness, you don’t think I’ll fall off if I can’t hold on to anything?”

Jungwoo’s attitude irked Jaehyun a bit - that was definitely no way to treat royalty - but had he not, Jaehyun wouldn’t have paused out of shock, and Jungwoo would’ve gone flying off.

And surely, the both of them equally did not want that to happen.

Jaehyun sighed.

“Just this once, I’ll let you put your arms around me to steady yourself.”

A pause.

Jungwoo’s voice was a soft purr, barely audible over the rustling of leaves above them.

“Okay.”

He slowly brought his arms over Jaehyun, who temporarily let go of the reins, and hugged him tightly around the waist. A lump formed in Jaehyun’s throat, and he cleared it just as quickly as it had appeared.

“So, we’re all set, then.”

Jungwoo hummed lowly in compliance, making sure to do it right into Jaehyun’s ear.

The prince felt his chest tighten, but tried to pay it no mind as he prompted Wisteria to gallop forwards.

The horse seemed to know the way back home, much to Jaehyun’s relief. He barely remembered the route he took to get to the lake, but at least he had a compass and knew the general direction of the castle.

Either way, he would’ve ended up where he wanted.

Once again, broad tree trunks whizzed past Jaehyun – and his new partner - as Wisteria bolted over logs and stones throughout the woods. However, the speed at which they traversed the woods caused Jungwoo to feel a bit nauseous. A wave of motion-sickness suddenly surged through his body.

“Prince Jaehyun,” He murmured, his voice strikingly weak.

Jaehyun pulled back the reins and to come to an abrupt halt. He turned backwards to glance at Jungwoo, whose face was paler than the lilies at the lake.

“Are you alright?” Jaehyun asked, rather concerned.

“I-I feel a bit uneasy because we’re riding too fast.”

The prince pressed his lips together. Jungwoo’s tone of voice had softened something in his core.

“Okay. I’ll slow down, then.”

He tapped Wisteria’s sides gently with his heels and she took off at a leisurely gait.

“Thank you so much, Your Highness.” Jungwoo hummed, his words carrying the relieved smile plastered on his face. He appreciatively tightened his grip around Jaehyun, in a sort of handcuffed back-hug.

The prince began to wonder if he too was unwell. Something had bubbled up and filled his chest with heat. He dismissed the feeling and continued to guide Wisteria through the woods.

*

It took about fifteen minutes to return to civilization. The prince had never ridden at such a slow speed, but the experience was enjoyable. Even in the dark, there were interesting sights to see, pleasant sounds to hear, and floral scents to smell.

There was no hurry, and soon the massive pearl-white castle came into sight, with all its towers and terrets.

The nymph had his head resting calmly on Jaehyun’s shoulder, chest pressed flush against Jaehyun’s back. The prince felt his breathing, warm and soft, on his neck.

If not for the fact that he was under the weather, Jaehyun would’ve thrown a royal outrage. But then again, anyone would fall asleep in the position Jungwoo was in.

And Jungwoo was probably exhausted. Their brawl at the lake was quite possibly the most exciting – and tiring - thing that had ever happened to him.

Wisteria swung inconspicuously into her stable and came to a stand-still. She snickered, grateful for her late-night joyride into the deep woods.

Jungwoo was still clasped around Jaehyun, and clearly very comfortable. The prince knew that he wouldn’t be going anywhere without waking him up. However, he didn’t know how to tackle it.

Waking up someone was something that Jaehyun hadn’t really done before.

The castle maids were the ones in charge of waking _him_ up on a Saturday or Sunday mid-midmorning, in the rare case that he overslept. But now, the prince had found himself responsible for bringing a water-nymph-servant back to the realm of consciousness.

Jaehyun pondered for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek.

If he did anything too loud or abrupt, Jungwoo might jolt awake too violently, and send them both crashing onto the stone floor of the stable.

So, what did the prince do?

He gave a tentative poke to Jungwoo’s cheek.

The nymph’s eyes fluttered open immediately. “You poked me.”

Jaehyun raised a brow. “You weren’t sleeping?”

Jungwoo grinned innocently. “I was daydreaming.”

Jaehyun pursed his lips, unimpressed, and Jungwoo lifted his head off his shoulder and darted his eyes curiously around the room, taking in his new surroundings.

“Wonderful horses, Your Highness!” He gasped, noticing the sleeping mares and stallions in their stables before watching Jaehyun with sparkling eyes.

Jaehyun chuckled lightly. “Aren’t they.” He nudged Jungwoo’s arms squeezing his waist more tightly than before. “If you don’t mind.”

“Oh,”

Jungwoo quickly lifted his arms off Jaehyun, and suddenly he grimaced in pain.

“It hurts. Please untie me?” He asked, looking sadly at Jaehyun, then at the red marks that had formed where the twine had been tied much too tightly.

“I’ll take it off when we’re inside the castle.” Jaehyun said, nimbly dismounting the horse. And before he could protest, he plucked a sulking Jungwoo off the saddle and placed him delicately by his side.

Jungwoo looked longingly at the horses and huffed a sigh as Jaehyun secured Wisteria in her section, then steered him out of the stable-house by the shoulders.

“Can’t I pet them for a little bit?” He complained, dragging his feet to slow down the steps that Jaehyun was forcing him to take.

Jaehyun shook his head slowly. “Not until you’ve made yourself a loyal servant.”

Jungwoo frowned and heaved a sigh, just like a child when denied extra play-time by his parents.

“What work do you want me to do anyways?”

Jaehyun hummed in thought. “Before I answer that, let me ask you one short question. Do you like to read?”

Jungwoo’s face lit up with a grin. “Of course! I read all the time- you know, water nymphs have a rich history in literature-”

“Then I’ll start you off with dictating letters.” Jaehyun said rather frankly, ceasing Jungwoo’s banter at once. The nymph should’ve seen it coming.

“I take that back. I’m illiterate. What is a letter, by the way? Never heard of one.”

Jaehyun laughed dryly. “As if I’ll believe that.”

He continued, “On an average day I receive about ten scrolls to sort out, and currently three of them are left unread on my desk right now, waiting for you to read to me.”

Jungwoo huffed and frowned.

He had done that a lot in the past few hours.

Jaehyun looked over at Jungwoo, who he continued to guide out of the stables and up the spiraling staircase of one of the castle’s side-entrances.

The nymph seemed to be lost in his thoughts, his expression vacant as he robotically veered wherever Jaehyun led him. He was so quiet that the prince had an inkling that something was up. Maybe he was plotting something, but it was going to be difficult to play tricks whilst tied up.

Soon, they slipped into the Prince’s quarters and then into the study.

*

“Seriously? You’re making me read _this_?” Jungwoo whined, shifting uncomfortably in his seat at the prince’s desk, which was much too large for him. As a matter of fact, everything was intimidatingly large and expensive, from the castle to everything in it.

The only thing that hadn’t made him feel remarkably small was the mini-bookcase in the prince’s extensive room, which brandished an array of interesting books on mythical species and classic fairytales. He had asked the prince to read them, of course, but he was met with his smug ‘maybe if you work hard, I’ll let you.’

Jaehyun hadn’t even allowed him to explore the castle in its entirety, which was a huge disappointment. It was Jungwoo’s first time in a castle, and he found the place magnificent – even though he had only seen at most three rooms.

Jungwoo began to feel impatient and restless. He wasn’t nearly interested in dictating letters upon letters about the latest political news from other kingdoms.

He just wanted to have fun, but he couldn’t.

Jaehyun had untied his wrists, but only to tie them again to the armrests of the uncomfortable chair that he was currently seated in.

And the more Jungwoo thought about his predicament, the more impatient and restless he got – and since he had been thinking about it the whole time, he was reaching his limit.

“Can I get something else to read?” He huffed, kicking his heels against the legs of the chair.

Jaehyun sighed, lying down carefreely on his daybed, even though the day had long past – it was almost midnight.

“I was still listening to the one you’re reading now.”

In response, Jungwoo groaned and continued to kick the legs of the chair, even though he knew that he couldn’t break them. At least he could make a racket this way.

“Fine, I’ll let you read a next one if you stop that incessant noise.”

The prince arose from his daybed and brought a different letter on his bookstand for Jungwoo to read before returning to his comfortable spot. The nymph narrowed his eyes as he skimmed the letter before dictating it. He immediately raised a brow at its contents.

“Wait. You’re not betrothed?”

“Nope.” Jaehyun replied bluntly. It gave Jungwoo the impression that he took great pride in being single.

“Why not?”

“I’m not _interested_ in love.”

Jungwoo glared at the prince, horrified.

“Why not?”

Jaehyun sighed heavily. “I don’t think there’s anyone who could entertain me enough for me keep them around.”

Jungwoo glared blankly at the prince. He let a couple seconds pass before he changed the topic.

“I’ll get to reading this letter now.”

Jaehyun put his feet up on the frame of the daybed and closed his eyes, getting himself ready to listen.

“From Lady Yeri, Royal Matchmaker. I wish to inform you that I have found yet another candidate…” Jungwoo drawled on and slowly his speech became less and less intelligible. His voice remained at the same volume, but his words no longer made sense, as if he was interpreting the letter into an entirely different language.

The prince rose from his bed. “What on earth are you saying?”

Without taking notice of the prince, Jungwoo continued to talk strangely.

Now it was the prince’s turn to get restless.

“Is this a joke? Because it’s not funny. Please read it properly.”

Jungwoo kept ignoring the prince and mumbled on.

Gradually, his voice lowered until he was completely inaudible.

The prince raised a brow, staring at Jungwoo in mild annoyance. He was about to storm over to give him a piece of his mind – until suddenly the nymph’s eyes fluttered shut and his body slumped forward, as if he had passed out.

Jaehyun panicked.

Jungwoo had rested on the way back to the castle, so he shouldn’t have been tired – in fact – he was bursting with energy the moment they had reached inside the prince’s quarters. So, how could he have passed out?

The prince anxiously strode over to Jungwoo, who was motionless except for the slight movement of his breathing, barely supported in his chair by his wrists.

Gently, he pushed Jungwoo back into his seat so that he wouldn’t fall over, and his eyes fell to the red strings binding him to the chair. Jaehyun hadn’t tied him to the chair tightly enough to cut off his circulation, but now he wasn’t too sure about that.

However, if Jaehyun was to untie him, how was he to know that this wasn’t a ruse, just for him to run off?

Jaehyun stared at Jungwoo’s peaceful sleeping face, half-way covered by dark hair falling in front of his eyes.

No sign of consciousness.

The prince hesitated, and gently loosened the knot around his left wrist. He felt no resistance from him at all, so he clearly wasn’t awake.

Jaehyun took a deep breath in before he nimbly undid the knot around Jungwoo’s right wrist so that he was freed. Then, he brought one of his hands to support Jungwoo’s back, and slid one the other under his knees, and lifted him up. His body was lighter than he had remembered, and his scent of wildflowers and sweet blueberries seemed to permeate his lungs much more than it had before.

Carefully, Jaehyun placed him onto the daybed and sighed.

Jungwoo looked pretty comfortable where he lay. His chest rose and fell with each rhythmic breath he took, and it seemed as though he had fallen into a deep sleep.

His expression was calm, but his bangs were not. They fell messily over his eyes, and it irked the prince.

Jaehyun’s hand ventured to Jungwoo’s face.

As soon as his fingers touched Jungwoo’s forehead, Jungwoo’s hand jolted upwards to grab them.

The prince jerked backwards powerfully, utterly shocked, and managed to fall backwards onto the hardwood floor, also sending Jungwoo tumbling off the daybed and onto the floor next to him.

Jungwoo released his grip on Jaehyun’s hand and quickly scurried away from him, heading in the direction of the library leading to the prince’s quarters.

“You prankster!” Jaehyun yelled, dashing after him.

The library was gigantic, and sectioned in such a way that one could get lost among the hundreds of towering bookshelves. The prince of course knew the layout like the back of his hand, whereas Jungwoo did not, and was inevitably going to get lost.

And he did.

After running for barely two minutes, Jungwoo found himself at a dead end.

Jaehyun had chased him until he was sandwiched between two mahogany bookcases and pressed against a wall.

“I’m sorry-?” Jungwoo choked out amidst staggered breaths, an embarrassed smile plastered on his face.

Jaehyun shook his head, highly dissatisfied. “I told you, I don’t accept _sorries._ I accept allegiance, and you refused to give me what I’m due.”

“Maybe I would, if you gave me something _interesting_ to do! I don’t want to read about the issues going on in other kingdoms – and I don’t want to hear about your love struggles either.”

“I do _not_ have love struggles. I just _don’t_ want to date or get married. It’s too restrictive.”

Jaehyun frowned and brought his face closer to Jungwoo’s, in an attempt to intimidate him. Instead, he was hit with a tidal wave of floral and fruity fragrance and Jungwoo was unfazed and pouting right in front of him.

“But when you’re king, you’ll _have_ to get a consort.” Jungwoo paused. “And love is absolutely wonderful. It’s something in the very nature of nymphs. I do feel quite offended when you vilify it.”

Jaehyun huffed. “Well, I’ll be the first single king, and you being offended by that isn’t my responsibility. I _absolutely_ don’t like to be tied down, and I would hate to be tied down to someone. I already established that I’m not _interested_ in love.”

“Is that true? That’s funny, coming from someone who enjoys _tying up_ innocent nymphs and turning them into palace servants.” Jungwoo chuckled mirthlessly. “Sounds like you need to learn how to love.”

“I _do_ know how to love. I’m just not _interested_ in romance.”

“How many times have we even said the word _interest_ or _interesting_ today, honestly. Maybe you’d find more _interest_ in your life if you had someone you loved to share it with.”

Jaehyun scoffed. “Maybe you’d find more interest in your life locked up in the dungeons.”

Jungwoo gasped in shock. “You would never!”

Jaehyun grinned menacingly and placed his hands on the wall to corner Jungwoo.

“I can, and I will. You disrespected me enough already for the day. Quite a bold being you are. See where that gets you.”

Something flashed in Jungwoo’s eyes for a second, and he made strong eye-contact with Jaehyun.

“See where _this_ gets you.”

It happened too fast. One second, Jaehyun was cornering Jungwoo against a wall between the two bookshelves on History and Geography, throwing a royal fit – and by the next second, he was still cornering the nymph against the wall and between the bookshelves, but his entire body became feverishly warm, as though he was melting.

His arms began to feel like they were made of lead, and his boots seemed to be cemented to the floor. Beneath the armor he wore under his princely robes, his heart felt as though it was being prized open with a warrior’s spear.

Amidst the terrible pain, Jaehyun couldn’t cry out.

His lips were sealed together, sealed with the warm, soft sensation of another pair of lips pressing resolutely against them.

The prince felt something heavy sink in his chest as he remembered a line from a book on magical beings.

_The kiss of a nymph is a powerful, unbreakable spell…_

Jaehyun blacked out and stumbled forward, bumping Jungwoo against the wall, and sending the both of them crumpling to the floor.

_…and the one who is kissed will fall hopelessly in love with them._

*

When Jaehyun’s eyes fluttered open, he found himself in his library, resting comfortably in somebody’s lap, and thickly shrouded by the scent of wild-flowers and berries. He turned his head upwards to see a rather beautiful young man with fluffy dark hair and a pleasant – yet mischievous – grin.

“Who- who are you?” Jaehyun stammered. He sat up from the stranger’s lap, took his own cross-legged seat in front of him and gazed at his face in admiration.

His face was so familiar – yet he was sure that he had never seen him before.

“I’m Jungwoo, your lover. We’re betrothed.”

Jaehyun smiled warmly.

“Of course. How could I forget? I don’t know what got into me.”

The prince gently picked up both of Jungwoo’s hands and immediately noticed that his wrists had red imprints on them, as if someone had tied cables around them. He pressed soft kisses to each of his wrists and Jungwoo squealed in delight, his cheeks reddening fiercely.

Jaehyun did a double-take at Jungwoo’s left hand. Something about it made him frown, and he brushed his thumb gently over his knuckles.

“Where’s your engagement ring?” He asked.

Jungwoo giggled amusedly, as if Jaehyun had told him a joke instead of a question.

“You haven’t proposed to me yet, but these days I feel as though you might – so that’s why I said that we’re engaged.”

Jaehyun chuckled, placing Jungwoo’s hands into his lap, still clasped in his own. “Is that so? I should work on being less transparent to make the engagement more of a surprise for you, shouldn’t I?”

“Well, I do enjoy seeing your _interest_ in having me as your consort.” Jungwoo chirped, completely over the moon.

Jaehyun watched Jungwoo adoringly as he spoke, and the more he did, the stronger he felt attracted to him. Where in the kingdom had he found such a lovely young man?

Jaehyun beamed and rubbed soothing circles on Jungwoo’s hands with his thumbs.

“I’m glad.”

The prince frowned, unable to tap into his memories. “Please remind me, how long have we been courting for?”

Jungwoo thought for a moment.

“Three years.”

Jaehyun made a sound of intrigue. “I wonder how we did that.” He paused and lowered his head before continuing, his voice tinged with regret. “I apologize. My memory isn’t that great today, and I can’t seem to recall our moments together.”

Jungwoo gazed sympathetically into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“It’s alright, Jae. You were sick, and you still have slight amnesia. But, while you’re recovering, we can make new memories.”

Jaehyun nodded in understanding and gave a small smile.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

He stood up, then offered his hands to Jungwoo to help him get to his feet.

Jungwoo beamed and Jaehyun returned a similar smile, showcasing his dimples.

“So, Jaehyun, for our first new memory, I want to hear you say that you love me.”

Jaehyun chuckled. “Alright.” He locked eyes with Jungwoo, whose dark eyes seemed to shimmer with flecks of colored light.

“I love you.”

Jungwoo’s cheeks dusted with a rosy pink, and he looked highly pleased – as if those three words had a lot more meaning to them than the prince had thought.

Jungwoo’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and suddenly, the atmosphere around them become more playful.

“I was going to say ‘I love you’ too, but I’ll save it for a game I think we should play.” He smirked and grasped Jaehyun’s arm. “After you treat me to a dinner date tomorrow, I’ll reward you with an ‘I love you’.”

Jaehyun pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to restrain his blush.

“Do I really have to wait that long for you to tell me ‘I love you’?”

Jungwoo hummed thoughtfully.

“Well, since you’re impatient,” He continued, “If you carry me to your quarters and read me a fairytale, I’ll reward you with an ‘I love you’.”

He brought his hand to Jaehyun's chest and trailed it down, stopping halfway with a gentle poke.

“And if you do it well, maybe I’ll reward you with a little something more.”

To that, Jaehyun laughed in amusement. He bent down slightly and effortlessly swept a giggling Jungwoo off his feet and into his arms.

“Challenge accepted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovely readers!  
> I hope you had a lot of fun reading this story, and if you liked it, feel free to check out the sequel, Come Hell or High Water!
> 
> And in case you want to have a chat with me:  
> Twitter: [@zeuxiwoo](https://twitter.com/zeuxiwoo?s=09)  
> Curious Cat: [@zeuxiwoo](https://curiouscat.qa/zeuxiwoo)


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